ELONIO
Log inSign up

L'ammiratore sa la verità, ma non gliela confessa.

L'ammiratore sa la verità, ma non gliela confessa.
The admirer knows the truth, but he does not confess it to her.
From Lesson 130:Third-person combined pronouns (glielo, gliela)·Italian

Questions & Answers about L'ammiratore sa la verità, ma non gliela confessa.

How exactly is gliela formed in this sentence?
It is a combination of two pronouns. The indirect object le (to her) changes its spelling to glie- when it is placed next to the direct object la (it, which replaces the feminine noun la verità). They fuse together into the single word gliela (it to her).
Wait, does gliela mean "it to her" or "it to him"?
It can mean both! When making combined pronouns, both gli (to him) and le (to her) turn into glie-. Therefore, gliela can translate to "it to her" or "it to him". You have to rely entirely on the context of the conversation to know who is being spoken about.
Why is "knows" translated as sa instead of conosce?
Sa comes from the verb sapere, which is used for knowing facts, information, or how to do something. Because the admirer knows "the truth" (la verità)—which is a fact—you must use sapere. You would use conoscere if you were talking about being familiar with a person, a place, or an object.
What is the rule for where to put non when using combined pronouns?
Combined pronouns follow the exact same placement rules as single pronouns: they go immediately before the conjugated verb (gliela confessa). When you make the sentence negative, the non must go directly in front of the pronoun. The correct order is always: non + pronoun + verb.

Learn L'ammiratore sa la verità, ma non gliela confessa and more in Italian

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Italian →